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Louise Stanger is a trusted speaker, educator, clinician, social worker, facilitator and interventionist who uses an invitational approach to working with complex clients in mental health, addictions, chronic pain and addictions.
Last year, I had never thought, when I was writing for the first time about the rise of vapors, that this would turn into a nanosecond into a national epidemic. According to an article in the Daily Mail, "about 3.6 million American teens now use electronic cigarettes, one in five high school students and one in twenty college students," and rates have doubled over the past year. last year.
I also did not think that these concerns about substances that teens inhale by steam would extend to marijuana. Nearly one in 11 students in the United States, which represents 2 million people, tried to spray marijuana, according to a school survey, reports CBS News.
Noting the large number of students inhaling nicotine, marijuana and other chemically torn fumes, parents, teachers and health officials have taken notice and have begun to warn of the dangers. . In fact, the growing amount of damning evidence about the risks badociated with e-cigarettes and the increasing consumption of teenagers has prompted the US Surgeon General to declare the problem an epidemic, reports a December 2018 article in the report. Daily mail.
It's easy to see how teenagers' use has accelerated so quickly. Unlike tobacco, the liquid does not burn, the exhaled vapor is fine and feathery, almost invisible to the naked eye. The flavors range from fruity to mint, and these battery-powered devices are so elegant and so small that they can pbad for a flash drive or pencil in a clbadroom.
Teens have also been caught in a crossfire because of conflicting messages about the "benefits" of spraying – sold as a way for smokers to quit. "E-cigarettes are at the heart of a fierce fight between a device that is harmful to children, but potentially useful for adult cigarette smokers," Laura Kelly writes for the Washington Times. "In teen surveys, smoking cigarettes is considered unacceptable, but electronic cigarettes are" a healthier alternative. "
Despite contradictory messages, "school and health authorities say that many things are clear … Nicotine is highly addictive, pods of vaping devices have a higher nicotine concentration than individual cigarettes, and more and more research indicate that vaping causes more teens to try cigarettes, "writes Kate Zernike for The New York Times.
And with research suggesting that teens experimented with the electronic cigarette are more likely to try real cigarettes, threatening to cancel decades of progress in reducing cigarette smoking in the United States. United, health officials worry about nicotine addiction. "We have now for the first time in this country, for a long time, the possibility that many children are currently dependent on nicotine," said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA Commissioner, Washington Times.
In fact, according to Joanne Ebner, head of cancer prevention services at the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, the hospital has seen an increase in the number of parents seeking treatment for nicotine addiction for their addicted son or daughter ( e) the electronic cigarette.
"We have in fact already seen one of the teenagers and we worked with their pediatrician to provide nicotine replacement therapy because he was very addicted," said Ebner. The problem is that apart from the nicotine replacement therapy provided by pediatricians, the treatments used by adults to get rid of addiction – skin patches, chewing gum and lozenges – are not approved for use among young people, which further complicates the situation. Nevertheless, services to help children quit have appeared across the country in response to the growing epidemic.
As programs of treatment for nicotine addiction among teens multiply, authorities and lawmakers are taking on electronic cigarette companies to limit their grip on a captive teenage audience. According to a report in ReutersIn November 2018, the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) imposed drastic restrictions on flavored tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, and restricted the sale of these products in certain retail outlets. FDA officials also met with high-level officials of electronic cigarette manufacturers to address the problem of some of these companies that appeared to want to evade commitments related to youth access to these tobacco products.
"There is no reason that manufacturers expect the FDA to aggressively attack the epidemic. Yet some already seem to be moving away from commitments to the FDA and the public, "said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. Gottlieb went so far as to say "manufacturers and management are responsible for the youth epidemic" in a Tweet related to FDA ads.
And if you do not believe that manufacturers have a role to play in adolescence, talk to Jennifer Kovarik, an educator who leads smoking prevention programs for Boulder County, Colorado. "If they did not want young people to use it, it would be sold in institutions 18 years and older. He is available at Circle K across the country. "
Nicotine and harmful chemicals are of great concern to parents who worry that their child is marveling – marijuana is of particular concern. For starters, "THC vaping does not produce the tell-tale smell that comes when you smoke marijuana through a joint, knife, or pipe," making it difficult for parents to detect if their child uses it, and "users tend to consume higher concentrations of THC" through vaping, "says Brandie Pugh, research badociate at the Center on Addiction and doctoral candidate in sociology at the University from Delaware.
In addition, marijuana is particularly harmful for the development of the adolescent brain. "The harmful effects of the drug on the brain can be even more serious during adolescence," says Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a developmental psychologist at Stanford University's School of Medicine in California. "Marijuana use has been linked to depression and memory problems. Once marijuana is introduced, you change the brain forever. "
As a clinician and advocate, I know that additional research is essential for this topic. However, within a few months, this problem has gone from a fashionable teenage fashion to the FDA and the Surgeon General has termed it an epidemic.
In any public policy debate, I invite communities, parents, schools, businesses, churches and friends to learn about the risks badociated with the use of unknown, new or dangerous substances by young people adults. And now that the problem is at the root of nicotine addiction in young adults, I urge behavioral health professionals, health care providers, schools and community programs to redouble their efforts. to encourage teens to give up this harmful addiction.
In addition, companies and advertisers must be held accountable for promoting harmful products to vulnerable and potentially impressing populations. This issue reflects the debate about the legalization of marijuana in many ways, and I advocate for greater transparency and stricter regulation for companies that carry out these activities.
For parents with a son or a teenage daughter, one of the first things to do is to have a frank and honest conversation with them. You are also always responsible for your home and it is your responsibility to define healthy boundaries. You have to decide what you are willing to pay or not – in most cases, you are the ones who pay for these vaping devices and cartridges.
Although the jury only knows the evidence from the research, it is important to present facts and valid reasons for your concern for your child's health. According to this Infographic of the Surgeon General providing parents with useful information to talk about electronic cigarettes to their children, in addition to providing facts, parents should:
- Be calm, listen and avoid criticism
- Answer questions with thoughtful answers
- Ask questions and show interest
- Give the example without tobacco
- Set healthy limits
- Decide what you are willing to pay or not
- Develop parent alliances in your community
- Keep the dialogue open by maintaining an active presence in the life of your son or daughter
- Remember that you are the parent, a teenager does not have the same cognitive ability as you. Their brains are growing and you can express yourself about the behaviors you choose to tolerate.
To learn more about Louise Stanger, her interventions and other resources, visit her website. website.
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